"I had a vision for what I wanted the car to be like," Young said. Most of all, Young likes to drive the car.

Autorama spokeswoman Linda Ashley said that despite the gloomy economy, organizers are expecting the show to build on its growing success and recognition across the country as one of the top shows for custom cars.

"More and more people are coming from across the country to Autorama," Ashley said. "It's a great opportunity to celebrate the art of the automobile."

Some of the car customizing business' biggest names will attend the show. Stars who will be at the show include Chip Foose and Chris Jacobs of the TLC TV show "Overhaulin' " and renowned customizer George Barris.

But cars are the stars at Autorama and this year's show won't disappoint. Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's "Orbitron," which turned up in Mexico after being lost for three decades, will be unveiled at the show after a complete restoration. Barris will bring his "Ala Kart" and "Sam Barris Merc" to Detroit.

Other area custom car fans are also planning on showing their vehicles are Autorama.

Brandon DeVita of Fenton is looking forward to showing his 1997 Chevrolet S10 pickup truck. DeVita bought the truck as a daily driver when he was a kid. Since then, the mechanic has completely rebuilt the truck, turning it into an award-winning custom.

"It's something I enjoy doing every day," DeVita said. "I learned a lot in the process."

Brown said that the Sloan Museum had been storing the Buick and other surplus cars in its basement. The car changed hands a couple of times after the museum sold it, eventually ending up in Brown's hands. Brown is proud to say that the 400-horsepower 425-cubic-inch Buick engine and transmission were both built in Flint. He had planned to drive the car in GM's 100th anniversary parade, but found out that GM only wanted all original cars in the parade.

Brown's Safari may look like a car from the 50s, but underneath it's a completely modern car with a new, computer-controlled engine and four-wheel disc brakes peaking out from behind modern wheels. The Safari, which was the Pontiac version of the better-known Chevrolet Nomad, features a new 502-cubic-inch, 502-horsepower engine and a nine-inch Ford rear end to handle the power.

"The only thing that's different about the car is it's built with all new technology," he said.